On the way in to work this afternoon, I noticed a dull Tit alight on one of the bare branches of the birches in the office courtyard. With this thick fog, low light and distance between me and the bird, I couldn't make out exactly which species it was - a dull Great Tit perhaps, a Coal Tit or even a Marsh or Willow Tit.
As I tried to identify it in the few seconds it appeared before me, it looked at me, peeped and then flew straight into a hole at the top of the metal post forming the corner of the office bike shed.
I know the family of Great Tits nested in a small wooden post right behind the bike shed in the spring of this year, but I'm not convinced this was a Great Tit. I am hoping it was a Marsh or Willow Tit (almost impossible to distinguish between these species without hearing them call).
The whole (hole?!) process of me first seeing the bird, to it diappearing into the bike shed post can't have taken more than 3 seconds...
This Office Tit is obviously roosting in the bike shed structure then... a fantastic place to roost!
It gives me hope that the Blue Tit(s) back home will start to roost in the nestcam box before too long.
I'll keep an eye on this hidden Office tit, and see if I can identify it, or see if it it nests in the spring!
You'd never know the bike shed was used in this way. Never, unless you really kept your eyes open!
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NB. 26/12/07. Staked out the area this afternoon in better light - and two (pale) Great Tits seemed to be hanging around in the trees nearby.
Later, I took a wee peep inside the hole (standing on a bin), and yes - about a foot from my nose was a Great Tit - fast asleep! Vey fluffed up and breathing like a little steam engine!
Shame it wasn't a Marsh or Willow Tit (or even a Coal Tit), but it was much more likely to be a Great Tit than anything else ( I only had the worst view of it for a couple of seconds when it darted into the opening, in thick fog t'other day) - especially as they were nesting not 20' away in the spring.
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